Hollow
by Bookishmcbadass
Summary: A slowburn love story between the hero of the wizarding world and the greasy bat of the dungeon. A story in which Harry is badly depressed and Snape is his usual unhelpful and snarky git. Will they be able to help eachother find the light at the end of the tunnel?
1. Chapter 1

Hi guys! So this is my very first Harry potter fanfic. Please read and review. I have so much ideas for this story but am fairly new to writing stories myself. Please let me know what you think of this very small beginning...

Harry James Potter!" Hermione's voice followed him through the air. Just far enough for Harry to be unable to ignore her. He could hear the tears she was trying to withhold. For his sake. All he could do these days was yell at her. His feelings completely and utterly consuming him. Harry let out a sigh, ' What Hermione? What would you like me to do?" It was painful to look at his best friend, knowing he was the one who caused the hurt she was displaying. "Talk to me Harry! For Merlin's sake, just talk!" Her hair was a mess, even more than usual and her face held a look bordering on despair. He knew it wasn't fair, not even a little bit, but it made him feel even angrier. Not at Hermione or Ron, but angry with himself. "You want me to talk Hermione?! What do you want me to say?"

At the sound of their angry voices, the students who were trying to get back to the common room before curfew, stopped to listen. But Hermione didn't care. "Be honest with me Harry, with yourself! I can see that whatever you've been going through these last months is killing you. I can see you slipping away from everything. You're walking around like an empty shell and refuse to tell us what's wrong." She took a deep breath before continuing:" I love you Harry, but I can see you don't. I'm scared. For you. Please just tell me how I can help you!" By the time she finished her sentence her voice had broken, tears streaming down her cheeks. It was too much. Too much for him to keep struggling, to try to hide all his worries. He took a few more steps, disappearing into the shadows before sinking to the ground. When Hermione sat down next to him he asked: " Why is everything I do, always going so horribly wrong?" Hermione started to shake her head but Harry held up his hand. "No really Hermione, it's true though. Everyone leaves or dies because of me. Ron can't even look at me anymore, my parents, Sirius… They are dead. I have had four chances to kill Voldemort, that's the one task I have to complete. And also the one thing I cannot succeed in." Harry didn't realise he started crying until Hermione gripped his hand. Unable to stop talking he continued: "Some day's, I feel everything at once. Other day's, nothing at all. Which is kind of a problem because Voldemorts powers are growing stronger. I can feel him. Under my skin, in my head. He is everywhere. And I just feel so afraid, knowing I can't fight him forever. Or at all, when all I'm feeling is the nothingness."

Harry hiccupped. The silence was overpowering him. But just when he decided to ask Hermione why she wasn't answering, he heard whisk of a robe on the floor. He looked up. Seeing the last person in the world he wanted to see him like this. Snape. The potionsmaster wore his trademark black robes, his hair greasy. "Mr potter, one can only imagine what that must be like to endure," Snape sneered. His voice sounded as sarcastic as ever. "If you can find it in you to stop all the dramatics and wipe all the disgusting substances from your face, I need you to come with me." Snape gave him a deadly stare, spurring Harry into action. He stood up, wiping his face on his sleeve before saying to Hermione: "Uhm, thanks Mione. I'll find you later, alright?" He turned back around to face Snape. The only thing still visible for Harry were the potionsmasters billowing ropes at the end of the hall. He waved to Hermione and left to follow Snape. What would happen to him now?


	2. Chapter 2

Harry followed the dark professor up the stairs. He was expecting Snape to take him down to the dungeons but his professor clearly wasn't planning on it. Harry had a hard time keeping up with Snape. As always the professor strode through the hallway with his robes billowing behind him. Harry who was so focused on holding back his tears and not making sounds, didn't notice Snape who had stopped in front of the headmasters chambers. " Chocolate frogs" Snape's voice disrupted the silence. The door to Dumbledore's chambers went open without Harry having to knock. The headmaster was expecting them.

"Ah Harry, my dear boy. Come in!" Albus Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk. He looked exhausted. His face awfully white, his hand as black as Snape's robes. Harry thought the headmaster might actually be sick. "Would either of you care for a lemon drop?" Albus looked up to both man standing before him, only now noticing something was off. "Did something happen on the way over, Severus?" The man might be weak, but his mind is still as sharp as ever, harry thought smiling to himself. Snape shrugged: " I found Potter as reluctant as ever to come with me. Finding his own problems more important." Harry threw Snape an ugly look but the professor just ignored him. When Harry looked over to Dumbledore to explain what happened, he saw the headmaster holding up his hand. " Harry, my boy. I need you to sit down for a minute. I have something to say to you." The headmaster voice sounded grave and Harry got chills. He didn't want to know what Dumbledore was going to tell him. " Harry as you can see for yourself now, I'm becoming old. Old and weak. Which is not a state in which I can fulfil my duties as headmaster of this school. I am retiring." Harry, who had sprung up halfway through Dumbledore's sentence, started to interrupt. "But Proffesor! – " Potter!" Snape, still standing close to the door, snapped. "Potter, shut your mouth, and wait for the headmaster to finish speaking. Ungrateful brat!" Harry, still stuttering, sat down again. Not happy in the least. He had so many questions. Albus Dumbledore not longer wanting to be headmaster of Hogwarts? How can it be? Who would take his place? What about Voldemort? "Harry, there is so much you need to know, you need to learn. I wanted to-" Dumbledore started to cough. Badly. " Albus, be still!" Snape was at the headmasters side in a matter of seconds. "I told you earlier you were not ready for this." Snape was irritated. And Harry thought he saw a look of worry passing over his potions professor's face, but when he looked again to check, it'd already disappeared. Professor Dumbledore looked as if he was in pain and thus Harry wasn't surprised at all when Snape took over. "Listen very carefully Potter," he hissed. "I'm only explaining this once. As you can see the headmaster is in no state to teach anyone anything. Professor McGonagall will take over as headmaster once he has left for good. However, the headmaster had wished to teach you one on one this year. Learning you occlumency – No Potter! Do not interrupt me when I'm speaking to you!- There are several things, apart from your normal classes you will have to learn. Since Professor Dumbledore is no longer able to teach you, I will have to take up this burden and try to teach your feeble mind the art of duelling and occlumency. "

Snape had finished speaking. And there was an awkward silence. ALbus was the one to break it by saying: "Harry it is of the upmost importance that you'll learn these things. It will not be easy or fun and I know you and professor Snape are not the best of friends." Snape smiled maliciously. " But you need to master these forms of magic to be able to continue fighting Lord Voldemort." He gave Harry a stern look before asking: "That is still what you want to do right?" Harry felt a cold rush of air ripping through his body when Dumbledore asked him the questioned. Of course he didn't want to fight him, why did the headmaster make it sound like he had a choice? He was the chosen one, wasn't he? The whole magical world was expecting him to stop Voldemort and his deatheaters. His voice shook when he answered: " yes professor." To mask his uneasiness he continued quickly. " But I don't understand why you would choose Snape to teach me all of this? He hates me! I hate him! I would never be able to learn anything from someone who isn't willing to look at me for more than a minute unless he can insult me!" Dumbledore let out a deep sigh. "Professor Snape Harry. And for what it's worth, I do believe that he is willing to teach you. If you give eachother a chance, I know you can learn from each other." Harry had his answer ready but Snape interrupted him again. "Potter. Enough. You're childish behaviour is annoying and making the headmaster even more exhausted than he already is. Go to the great hall. Have diner. I will contact you with the details before you and your friends leave for the summer." Snape's face twisted when he spit out the word friends. Harry knew this was his cue to leave. He sighed. With one more pleading look over his shoulder he said: " Goodbye professor Dumbledore, I hope you'll get well soon." He closed the door behind him and went to find Hermione. Now he had even more to explain.


End file.
